


The Prince

by awakened_treepanda



Category: Super Junior
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M, i guess that's false advertising?, more tags to be added as necessary, okay honestly tho the arranged marriage isn't really focused on oops, sorry :(
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-08-25 22:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16669741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awakened_treepanda/pseuds/awakened_treepanda
Summary: Donghae is a man on a mission - that is, to free his country from the tyranny of the ruling regent - and if he happens to get a husband out of it, well, he's not complaining.





	1. Chapter 1

He's been called to throne room under the premise of an announcement from his uncle but Donghae has an inkling the announcement is just another of his uncle’s schemes. He has an intrinsic feeling he’s not going to like what he hears. Donghae would very much rather not go but he knows not to delay the inevitable, not when his uncle will find some way to make the conditions even worse and so, with footsteps heavy and a grimace, he waits as the doors are pulled open by the guards stationed nearby and walks towards the throne, face kept carefully blank and head held high.

"Donghae," the man greets with a smile no realer than Donghae is a woman, "how are you doing, my boy?"

"What did you call me here for," Donghae pauses before grudgingly muttering, "your highness?"

"Always so straight to the point," his uncle pouts unattractively, "very well, as you know, our resources have been dwindling due to recent events."

 _All of which had been orchestrated by you_ , Donghae seethes. _All of this is because of you._  

"What does this have to do with me, sir?" he says instead.

"Well, my dear nephew, as you know, the small little nation of Fie X'hin is quite remote but its position in the mountains blesses their people with bountiful minerals and materials."

Donghae narrows his eyes. He doesn’t like where this is going.

"So," his uncle continues, "I requested their aid."

Silence.

"And the price?" Donghae eventually asks. A real smile graces his uncle's lips then and a shiver runs down his spine at the sight, thoroughly disturbed by the vileness of it. Though he steels himself, Donghae still finds himself reeling by the words spoken next,

"Your marriage to the grand duke’s son."

The first thought that comes to mind is that his uncle isn't marrying him off to the crown prince of the country - no, he's not even worth that it seems. The next one is mostly just a string of expletives his tutors would have scolded him for even thinking. Donghae squares his jaw, refusing to give in to the urge to grind his teeth and allowing his uncle the satisfaction of a reaction from him.

"Any objections?" The man says, seated smugly on the throne that once belonged to Donghae's brother - the brother his uncle had assassinated just a few days ago. With Donghae just shy of 18, his uncle was appointed as crown regent though not without the obvious hesitance of the council. It's a small comfort to know that no one approves of his uncle's actions - small because no matter their opinions, no one can go against the laws dated older than any of them have lived. Kei'sei may be one of the more developed countries among the Four Great Nations but they were still very much rooted firmly in ancient beliefs - the age restriction being one of them.

Donghae can begrudgingly admit that his uncle was clever to time the assassination the way he did - with the country still adjusting to a new monarch and the second prince still months away from being allowed on the throne should the need arise. And now, he's ridding himself of the one last person who can challenge him for the crown by marrying Donghae off, essentially stripping him of his title as second high prince. With his uncle as regent, he has all authority to do as he pleases and Donghae has no choice but to go along with the proposition even if it means he's to become nothing more than a pleasure slave.

"No, I have no such objections." It takes a lot of effort not to spit the words onto the man's face. Donghae mentally pats himself on the back for managing to keep an even tone.

His uncle grins then and it's completely and utterly disgusting to look at. The few audience gathered to watch Donghae's humiliation murmur amongst themselves. From what he can hear, they're all against his uncle's decision. He knows, however, no one will speak up in fear of the cruelty his uncle generously doles out and Donghae doesn't blame them.

"Alright then! Your escort has already been assembled and your dowry has been sent a day ahead. All essentials have been packed. Hurry along. You don't want to keep your husband-to-be waiting yes? I hear the man is quite strict with schedules."

The man chortles, a long ugly sound, and Donghae clenches his fists at his sides, indignant at the audacity of his uncle - how much more humiliation does the man want him to suffer before he's satisfied? He spins on his heel and leaves the throne room in quick strides - not running because he may have just been tossed away and sold to some rich perverted jerk but he still has dignity and he intends to keep it. He immediately heads for the winding staircase, making a beeline for the familiar massive doors with the scratches and a dent right by its left corner - made by a rambunctious five year old Donghae and his beloved older brother Donghwa while shirking off from their lessons. He doesn’t dwell on the memory.

Once in the safety of his bedroom, Donghae leans heavily against the wooden doors, bringing a hand up to clutch tightly at the silver pendant hanging around his neck - a birthday present from his late brother.

He had stood proudly even as he watched his father's coffin lowered into an excavated trench and buried under several feet of dirt when he'd been fifteen. He had smiled through his brother's coronation even if his mother had fallen victim to her declining health just the night before when he'd been sixteen. Now at seventeen, he had kept his head held high even when the news of his brother's assassination reached him just a few days ago. In all these instances not once had he cried - how could he? He was the second high prince of Kei'sei; he cannot afford to waste time by grieving when he had duties to perform. This was a lesson he was reminded of constantly as a child and enforced onto him as soon as he was old enough to start learning about the ins and outs of the country, old enough to start being groomed to be his brother and future king's right hand man.

But here, alone in his room, Donghae is only a seventeen year old boy with a worn down heart aching in longing for his family. His breath hitches and next thing he knows, he's sobbing uncontrollably, tears flowing freely as his knees give and he slides into an ungraceful heap onto the cold marble floor. For the first time in years, Donghae allows himself to cry. Only now, there was no one to comfort him.

When he starts to calm down, Donghae heaves himself off the floor and heads to his bathroom to splash some water onto his face in hopes of ridding any trace of his tears. He looks up and sees himself in the mirror, sees the exhaustion lining his features making him look older by at least 10 years. He purses his lips. He catches the glinting of metal and lets his eyes flit over to the source.

His pendant hangs loosely around his neck, the sunlight coming in from the windows reflecting off the pendant making it look as if it's twinkling. He dips his head and exhales shakily before going back to staring at his face through the mirror. This time, there's a steely determination in the narrowed brown eyes looking back at him.

 _I'll find a way to come back and free our people,_ he swears to the pendant clutched tightly in his fist. _I promise._

There's a tentative knock on his door, followed by a timid voice. "Your highness? They’re all waiting for you at the stables."

Donghae breathes in deep, taking in the distinct smell of the ocean wafting in from the opened window one last time, knowing he won't be returning home in a while. Maybe not ever, a part of him whispers. Donghae is quick to dispel those thoughts.

"I'll be right there," he calls out to the attendant. Lifting his hand, he presses a swift kiss onto the pendant. _I'll come back. Whatever it takes._

 

 

When he reaches the stables he finds that there are exactly three guards waiting for him and none of them are people he recognizes. _Of course_ , Donghae huffs. He can already imagine the indignant outrage Sungmin will eventually reign onto the nearest unfortunate council member, authority be damned. There's no helping it however, Donghae doesn't have the luxury of choice, else, he would have at least requested for the knight's company on the journey. There's a sting of an emotion he doesn't dare name at the thought he won't even get to say goodbye to the people he grew up knowing.

One of them ushers him to a plain brown stallion, saddle already prepared and belongings packed on another horse. After he's settled on his mount - not his personal one; he wouldn't dare think of bringing Bada along to some potentially dangerous trip - the guards bring him to the back gate, rarely used and leading towards the forest trails he was warned repeatedly not to wander. Wonderful.

 _Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll be dead before we even reach Fie X'hin_ , Donghae snorts to himself. But if I'm dead, there will be no one to protect Kei'sei from the regent's actions. He sighs.

"How long till we reach the mountains?" he inquires as they leave the boundaries of Kei'sei.

"Your highness," the guard nearest to him on his left addresses him, "the journey is estimated to be a week's worth at most, five at the least."

Donghae thanks him, the atmosphere growing silent once more which is more than fine with him. Closing his eyes, Donghae lets himself recall the map of the back woods he studied on his way to the stables - procured from a quick trip to the library - and mentally traces their route, taking note of where he planned to separate from the group. He had a couple days to finalize how he'll get to Fie X'hin on his own and, more importantly, figure out how to get away from the guards. He can do this.

 _May the gods' fortune be upon me,_ Donghae prays silently, holding his pendant tightly. _May your strength and wisdom guide me through, brother._

 

 

By the third day, Donghae is starting to consider resigning himself to his fate. Then proceeds to give himself the mental equivalent of a slap to the face.

_You are the second high prince of Kei'sei; do not allow yourself to be downgraded to a glorified sex toy for some irrelevant noble's son._

Donghae marvels at the fact the voice in his head sounds a lot like his brother's. Perhaps he is going insane. He sighs then goes to observe his companions. The guards are all silent, keeping on the lookout for any sign of threat through the trees.  They've been walking throughout the trip so far; Donghae wonders if he can outrun them if he made a break for it.

 _Not unless they were distracted,_ he thinks unhappily. He may be fit but he knew he couldn't possibly match up to the country's militia. His brother had made sure all the knights down to the very last squire would be more than prepared for harsh conditions and strenuous battles. He mildly regrets ever giving his brother the suggestion.

The guard in front holds up a hand and they stop moving. Then he sends out a hand sign to the rest. His breath hitches. He knew that sign - he'd been the one to jokingly teach it to his brother, saying, "if we can't speak because we'll get scolded, then I'll just do this to tell you to be careful, Donghwa!"

There's rustling in the bushes around them and next thing he knows, bandits are dashing towards them, knives in hand, and soon the forest path is filled with sounds of clashing metal and grunts. The horse startles but Donghae keeps himself steady, easing his mount and backing away when one of the bandits try to slash at him. The man quickly becomes occupied when one of the guards block him, preventing the hooded man from reaching the prince. They're outnumbered but the guards are doing a good job keeping them at bay, each of them dealing with two to three at a time.

It's the perfect distraction. Donghae takes a deep breath and when one of the bandits try to swipe at him again, he doesn't hesitate. He squeezes his legs and the horse starts to run, Donghae guiding it into the trees. Alarmed, the guards call after him but are held back by the bandits slashing away at them.

He runs and runs until he ends up at the edge of a stream, the sounds of the battle now far behind him and Donghae slows his horse to a walk. He hops down, landing with a soft thud on the grass. The horse bends down and starts sip at the water. Just as Donghae bends down for a drink himself, he lurches forward and lands face first with a splash. Startled, the horse breaks off into a run and Donghae curses at the loss of his mount.

Before he can right himself, he's pushed down by a weight on his back. Hands grab at his wrists tightly, keeping them locked together. His legs remain free, however.

"Don't move, boy," a voice hisses out and immediately Donghae can tell it's one of the bandits.

_As if I’d listen to you._

He twists as soon as his captor eases the grip on his wrists and kicks out his legs. The bandit stumbles backwards and Donghae takes the moment to get up and start running.

His eyes flit all over, taking in his surroundings as his mind races to figure out how to shake off his pursuer. He can hear the footsteps getting nearer and his desperation grows. In his haste, Donghae's foot slips on the muddy soil. He tries to pick himself quickly but it's too late, the bandit has caught up.

Just then, a horse breaks through the line of trees by the stream and hand shoots out towards Donghae. "Hop on!"

Without thinking, he grabs onto the hand and is immediately lifted onto the mount. Donghae instinctively grabs onto the stranger's waist before twisting his neck to look over his shoulder. The bandit has gone to fetch his own horse.

"He's still chasing after us!" he yells over the rush of wind. "How do we shake him off?!"

"Don't worry! I've got a plan!" his savior yells back and Donghae can't do much else but trust him. "Just hang on tight!"

His impromptu saviour takes them away from the river and back into the trees, jumping over fallen logs and ducking over low hanging branches. They swerve every so often it almost makes him dizzy. Suddenly, the other boy twists and wraps one arm around Donghae's upper back.

"What are you-" and then he's being pulled upwards, landing on some sort of cliff. Shocked, Donghae can do no more than stare at the side of his saviour's face - the other teen, as he’s noted from the other’s appearance, having turned towards the direction they had just come from. In his stupor, Donghae takes in the sharp jawline, the full lips and the soft almost orange red hair. His eyes travel back down and oh, that's a lovely shade of brown.

A smile graces the other teen's lips and Donghae's utterly enraptured with the way it just makes him look all the more attractive.

"Thank you, yours are quite lovely as well," the teen says softly.

Donghae's cheeks color, both in embarrassment for having blurted out his thoughts and the unexpected compliment. It's then that he notices the hand resting at his back while his own are circled around the other's neck. He scrambles back only to trip over his own feet but before he can fall into an ungraceful heap onto the ground, hands grab at his hips and then he's pulled flush along a muscled chest.

"Careful," the other murmurs, lips just inches apart from his own. Donghae catches himself leaning in ever so slightly and pulls away from the other, slowly this time. He tells himself he's not disappointed with the loss of contact.

"Sorry, I'm not usually this clumsy," he mumbles, hands awkwardly hanging by his sides. "Um, thanks by the way, for you know, saving me."

Gods, could he be any more pathetic. He can practically hear his family howling in laughter from the afterlife. Lee Donghae, second high prince of Kei'sei; can't even say a proper thank you. He wants to smack his head onto the rocky walls beside them.

"You're welcome," the redhead replies with an amused quirk of the lips. Donghae fidgets at the silence that follows. And then he fumbles.

"Oh! Sorry, where are my manners, I'm L-" he catches himself before he can give out his full name - he doesn't know if he can fully trust the other teen just yet though gods, does he want to, "Donghae, just Donghae."

"Nice to meet you Just Donghae," the redhead teases before he gently takes one of Donghae's hands in his own and leans down to press a quick kiss to the back of the flustered teen's hand. He raises his head, and meets Donghae's gaze with confident eyes and a charming grin.

"You can call me Hyukjae."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much Panda for beta-ing a fic about people you couldn't care less about. <3
> 
> She's a hecking champ.

Somehow he manages to minimize the fumbling and stuttering to a minimum and asks for Hyukjae to guide him to Fie X’hin. Now, he’s seated behind the redhead, once again, arms circled around a thin waist as they ride through the forest at a relaxed pace. In a sudden burst of confidence, Donghae leans against a warm back, resting his chin on Hyukjae’s shoulder. Despite his nerves, he finds himself relaxing, even with the looming thought of his marriage to some duke’s son.

For a moment he entertains the idea of being a normal person, how easy it would be to just let himself be swept away by Hyukjae despite just having met. He thinks about how simple it would be to fall for him as he learns more about the redhead, get married and live a happy simple life.  

It’s a wishful musing however as Donghae knows better than anyone that, as a prince, he will always put his duty first over his own desires.

“You are a prince before you are your own person,” his father always said, “you must think of the good of our country before you can think of yourself. It is the burden placed on those born as children of our ancient deity, a law engraved in the very blood that flows through our veins.”

And Donghae has never been one to disobey his father despite all the ruckus he had stirred up in his childhood.

“Donghae?” Hyukjae tentatively calls out, bringing the brunette out of his thoughts. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s got you going all the way to Fie X’hin when Kei’sei is kind of, well, it’s a much better choice for most people.”

“Why do you think I’m from Kei’sei?” Donghae asks in return. Hyukjae snorts, and he can hear the redhead mumble about how that’s what he takes note of first instead of actually answering the question.

“Fair enough,” Hyukjae replies with an indulgent tone, “no one ever passes these woods except for the people of Kei’sei, and even that is a rare occurrence. It wouldn’t really make sense for you not to be from there when all the other countries are much farther from Fie X’hin.”

“Oh,” is all Donghae says in response. Hyukjae laughs, though it’s tinged with hints of resentment.

“Didn’t expect that from a guy that lives in a tiny little nation?”

Donghae’s eyes widen and he fumbles with his mouth, trying to find the proper words to say. “Gods, no, it’s just, um, I hadn’t thought of it like that. In Kei’sei, the backwoods is something the people are told to stay away from. I didn’t think anyone would actually pass through the forests, you know?”

“Well it is mostly merchants looking to trade and sell goods,” Hyukjae turns to peer at the brunette currently settled against his back, “and that brings me to my question; what’s a guy like you doing, heading to our little part of the world. You’re obviously not a merchant, so what’s your story?”

“I guess,” Donghae pauses, “I just kind of want to get away from everything.”

It’s not a lie. The purpose may have originally been to escort him to his fiancé – he supposes is what he should start calling his husband-to-be no matter how much he loathes the idea – before he had completely and utterly tore through that plan by running away from his escort. He had justified his actions as him fulfilling his duty as a prince of Kei’sei but deep inside he knows his running away had been mostly fueled by his desire to escape from all his burdens.

“Hey, you know, you a picked a good place to escape to. Fie X’hin has one of the best hot springs and,” Hyukjae hesitates and Donghae looks up at him, curiosity now piqued.

“If you want,” the redhead bites his lip, mumbling to himself what sounds like a scolding before he tentatively suggests, “I could take you to one and maybe show you around our little nation too.”

Donghae knows his duty as the last living member of his family, knows he cannot afford to simply run away from it. His pendant remains a steady weight on his chest – a constant reminder of the burden that rests on his weary shoulders. He tells himself it's temporary, this sort of deviation from his plan. He wants to indulge himself before he has to give it all up.

It's with this thought that has him biting back the denial he's always said to his previous suitors and smiles as he snuggles further onto the shoulder he’s resting his cheek on.

“I’d like that very much,” he replies. The ensuing relieved grin on the other's face is enough to drown out the conflict bubbling up in his chest.

 

 

 

It’s been hours since Donghae broke away from his escort – the sun has set and the sky is awashed in shades of reds and oranges – and it’s only now that he starts to think about the three guards he had left behind. He doesn't delve deeper into the guilt slowly starting to rise however; he mustn't start regretting his decisions else he'd never go through with his plans. Besides, not even the gods could ever convince him to settle for being someone's trophy husband – nevermind that he's engaged to the grand duke's son.

Right now though, there is the concern on where he'll be resting for the night. Donghae's just about to ask the other when Hyukjae speaks up.

"There's little cabin just a couple more minutes from here. It's where I stay when I want to just immerse myself in nature for a while and get away from the hustle of the city. Do you mind if we rest there for the night?"

Doesn’t that sound a little too convenient. Not that he’s complaining. A night in a cabin far away from the busy towns with just the two of them alone? Either Donghae’s getting himself a moment worthy of the kinds of stories the maids are always giggling about or he’s about to be murdered horribly. Somehow, he doubts it’s the latter.

The thought of getting to steal more moments with the other teen has him giddy – but he’s not telling the other that though. Can’t make himself look too easy or too desperate; it's unbefitting of a prince. With that thought, Donghae pretends to ponder for a moment before finally he intones, "I don't know, is it clean?"

"I don't like what you're implying."

"But I'm not implying anything," Donghae says with an innocent tone. Hyukjae snorts.

"What happened to the shy cutie I saved earlier this morning?"

This time it’s Donghae’s turn to snort. Him? Shy? Okay, maybe at first but ask anyone that knew him and shy would be the furthest thing from their minds. He’ll graciously accept cutie, though.

"Is that your type? Because if it is, you're going to be sorely disappointed."

"I never said that." Hyukjae turns to smile at Donghae who had taken to resting his chin on the redhead's shoulder, bringing their faces alarmingly close. "Just hadn't expected it. I like it."

Donghae flushes at the blatant admission – it’s the smile, ok, he swears to the gods there’s something in that smile, some enchantment maybe – and Hyukjae turns back to keep track of where they're going with a satisfied grin.

"A-anyway, how long till we get to your cabin?" he tries to change topic. He glances at the sky, noting the encroaching darkness.

"Won't be too long now, but I thought you didn't like it because it’s unclean?"

Donghae pouts at his words being thrown right back at him.

"It's either that or I sleep right out in the open. I'd rather not get mauled in my sleep thank you."

He's heard about the stories people tell about the backwoods between Kei'sei and Fie X'hin, okay, and he's not risking it.

"You don't have to worry about that, none of the animals will dare to harm you as long as I'm around," Hyukjae says plainly as if he were merely pointing out the weather.

"And why's that?"

It's a simple question. One that takes the other quite some time to answer however. Frowning in concern, Donghae calls out to the redhead.

"Ah, nothing just- I don't really know how to explain it,” Hyukjae pauses, at a loss for words, “would you believe me if I told you the forest sort of just, well, listens to me?"

The prince blinks as the words sink in. Doesn't that sound a lot like-?

 "Oh! Are you perhaps similar to the oracles?"

Hyukjae glances back at the brunette now staring at him with a childlike curiosity. He swears he even saw sparkles in the other's eyes.

"Oracles?"

"In Kei'sei, we are primarily protected by the goddess Medella and so most of our chosen are blessed by her and become oracles. Are you perhaps a chosen too, Hyukjae?"

He raises an eyebrow at the obvious excitement of the other. "If I said no, would you be disappointed?"

"No, I wouldn't, but that isn't the case now is it?"

Donghae knows for certain that there's more to the other than just a handsome face and a charming grin – nevermind that those were the things he noticed first. He's seen it in the way the whole forest seems to just bend to the will of this teen. The way the animals keep a respectful distance, the way the trees seem to just part and give way to them as they pass, the way a wild horse seems to just willingly obey him; Donghae is sure he isn't seeing things. The redhead himself even admitted it. Unless they were both delusional, Donghae is certain Hyukjae is one of the chosen – if this were a fairytale, he might even be part of a long lost royal bloodline that Donghae would help him discover as they journeyed and fell in love and-

He's been listening to way too many stories from the maids.

"You're right about that," Hyukjae admits. “It seems I’m the one who’d been assuming things.”

The prince shrugs. He’s used to be being written off as an airhead by pretty much anyone he meets, the most common of which are other nobles; it’s nothing new. He tells as much to the other teen, leaving out the part that hints at his royal lineage. Hyukjae frowns at that but chooses not to comment further.

 

 

 

 

Several same looking trees later, Hyukjae is suddenly sitting up straight, jostling Donghae from where he's pretty much draped over the redhead. The horse stops and when the brunette peeks over Hyukjae's shoulder, he sees a quaint little cottage fitted right amongst the trees; roof a faded grey-blue shade and walls a dusty white. For something so far away from the main towns, it looks to be well maintained and, Donghae is amused to note, rather clean.

"We're here," the redhead says just as Donghae yawns. By this time, the sky has darkened completely and the exhaustion of the day has finally caught up to the runaway prince. Hyukjae dismounts first before helping Donghae get down, an act greatly appreciated by the latter. The redhead thanks the horse, petting it briefly on the neck before it starts to walk away, disappearing into the depths of the forest.

Hyukjae goes to unlock the door before opening it with a flourish. "Welcome to my humble abode, my little hideaway from the business and noise of the main towns."

Donghae laughs, a soft breathy sound as he walks into the cottage. "Why, thank you kind sir," he plays along. When his eyes flit to the foyer, he pauses, blinks and gapes. This has got to be the cleanest room he has ever seen in all his seventeen years of living. He doesn't think there's even a speck of dust on any of the furniture. 

"Donghae?" Hyukjae calls out to the frozen teen who immediately snaps his mouth shut though his eyes remain in their widened state. The brunette turns to his companion.

"Which of the gods gave you blessings that can keep a house this clean?" Donghae asks seriously, momentarily forgetting his creeping exhaustion. "I'd like to pray to this god, too."

"None," the redhead answers, amusement clear in his voice, "I just like to make sure the things I own are clean and usable."

Hyukjae walks right up to Donghae, crowding him onto the wall by the door. He leans closer, leaving just a hair's breadth between their lips. "Though I wouldn't be opposed if you were to be my devout follower."

"That would depend though, would you be an attentive god?" Donghae responds evenly despite the warmth steadily rushing to his cheeks. Boldly, he stares into hazel eyes bright with a teasing sort of light. "I can't just blindly worship a god who only neglects their people."

Hyukjae grins at the response before backing away and goes further into the cottage.

"You'll just have to wait and see then," he singsongs.

Wait and see, it's exactly what he can't afford to do, Donghae thinks wryly. He reminds himself of that fact later that night as he’s eating dinner caught by Hyukjae himself then promptly cooked plainly over a fire outside the cottage – he'd surprised himself with how much he'd eaten after having no appetite whatsoever for the past few weeks; nothing like the death of a dear brother to kill one’s hunger after all.

Soon they’re preparing for bed and Donghae decides to wash up in the river flowing near the cottage while Hyukjae uses the washroom. He sets his borrowed clothes and towel on the rocks situated by the riverbank before gingerly stripping off his clothes.

The water is a little on the colder side when steps into the river and there’s a stark difference from when he goes for a leisure swim at the alcove near the palace in Kei’sei but it’s the closest substitute to his favorite comfort; he’ll take what he can get.  

He moves to the deeper parts of the river before diving down to fully submerge himself. Relief washes over him then, soothing away the fatigue that had been steadily building up the past few days. He stays under for about a minute before going up for air; not that he really needs to yet – one perk of the royal bloodline.

Mindlessly, the prince swirls his hand in the water and his mind wanders to the mages that would visit the palace and perform tricks involving water manipulation. As a child, he’d adored it, amazed by the shapes and movements. He’d loved the display so much he’d begged his father to let him learn how to do it as well only to receive one of the longest lecture in his life. It’s unbecoming of nobles to take part in the commoner’s pastime he’d been told. He can’t help but wonder however.

His thoughts halt when he hears footsteps approaching and, sure enough Hyukjae is standing a few steps away from the riverbank.

“O-oh, I thought you’d be done by now.”

What’s with the stutter? He dismisses the oddity and walks to the shore to fetch the towel and starts to dry himself before changing into his borrowed clothes. He then turns to the redhead to ask where he can dry his washed clothes when he notices the other just standing there, seemingly frozen as he stares at some indiscernible point.

“Hyukjae?”

He startles before refocusing onto the now fully clothed brunette. Donghae squints at the redhead and thinks he can see hints of redness on the other’s cheek. He might just be imagining it however; there’s barely any light as neither of them had brought a lantern.

“Right, so, yes, let’s get back to the cottage before it gets too dark for us to see properly.”

As curious as he is to the other’s peculiar behavior, he’s tired and it’s safe to assume Hyukjae is too. His desire to fall into a bed and let himself pass out grows – and gods, he didn’t think he would miss sleeping on an actual bed so much after only two days of bed-less nights.

Soon enough, the prince sighs as he's lying in the rather soft bed in the room he's been loaned – Hyukjae having gone to sleep in the other room which Donghae will deny to being disappointed by. He closes his eyes – well aware he won’t sleep just yet – and welcomes the thoughts he’d pushed to the back of his mind earlier in the day. The most prevalent of which is well. It’s rather obvious.

Hyukjae. Handsome, charming and a nice enough personality so far. None of these things are particularly special; they’re traits generally shared by his previous suitors. Donghae won’t deny that there’s a difference to the attraction he feels for the other teen but he can’t quite discern why the distinction exists at all.

Not that it matters however.

"Don't get too attached," he mutters to himself just like he always did when he found a suitor that caught his attention. He denied himself then on the chance his parents might need him to be married for an alliance or other such purposes. He can deny himself now, when the fate of his country is on the line.

If his heart pangs at the thought of having to forfeit his chance before he can even decide to for himself, well, there is no one for him to confess it to but the moon and stars lighting up the all-encompassing darkness of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unbeta-ed, I apologize for any mistakes

It's fairly early in the morning when he wakes the next day, roused by the sounds of clinking metal from what he assumes is the cottage kitchen. A lovely savory smell wafting in the air has him inhaling deeply, pushing away the last vestiges of sleep. Now fully awake, Donghae sits up and stretches out his arms and back, hearing a satisfying pop before he stands and makes the bed as neatly as he can. Which is to say not much. Well, gods know he tried his best. The maids always appreciated his efforts at the least. Maybe Hyukjae will too.

Leaving his not so stellar handiwork behind, Donghae slips into the slippers he'd been loaned the other day and lets his nose guide him to the source of the mouthwatering scent. He finds himself at the archway leading to the kitchen and grins at the sight of Hyukjae standing by the stove.

The image reminds of him of the early mornings with his mother as a child. When most of the castle has yet to awaken, his mother would sneak to the kitchens and experiment with different food mixtures and combinations, bringing along Donghae should she find her youngest also awake to help her. On one such encounter, he remembers her distinctly telling him, "find a partner that knows their way around a kitchen, son, or else mother will not approve."

He knows she'd been joking then but there's a heaviness weighing him down at the thought his mother would have appreciated that Hyukjae can cook – and judging by the enticing smell from the stove, he can cook well. Disregarding the momentary gloom that came over him, Donghae clears his throat and successfully gains the attention of the other teen.

"Morning," Hyukjae says over his shoulder before turning back to stove. Donghae heads over to stand beside the redhead, leaning over the other's shoulder to peek at the source of the enticing smell.

"It's just a plain meat stew. I know it's pretty heavy for an early morning meal but the path we're headed to later is going to be pretty sparse of foliage and animals."

Donghae hums. "You said we're going to reach the borders of Fie X'hin tonight?"

"Yep," Hyukjae answers distractedly as he stirs the mixture cooking in the pot. "If I remember correctly, there's a festival happening today in the town we'll be entering."

Donghae perks up at the news. He hasn't been to a festival since he was a child. He steps aside when the redhead taps the wooden spoon he's holding onto the rim of the pot before setting it aside. Hyukjae grabs a mitten from the side and transfers the pot to the dining table. The prince, meanwhile, watches as the other teen quietly and efficiently retrieves two bowls and a pair of spoons.

"Well, enjoy." The redhead gestures for him to dig in and Donghae happily takes a seat. He scoops himself a decent portion onto his bowl and eagerly takes a mouthful of the stew. And then another and another, making sure to properly chew the meat and vegetable chunks.

"It's delicious," he compliments in between spoonfuls. On the other side of the table, Hyukjae's lips upturn into a relieved smile as he scoops a serving for himself.

 

 

 

 

Just as Hyukjae predicted, they reach a town just as the sun is setting after a long ride through the steeper paths – they were getting closer and closer to the mountains and the prince feels a tendril of dread as it meant he was that much closer to having to face his fiance. He pushes away the thought.

As they approach the brightly lit town, Donghae can't help the awe the courses through him as even from this distance, the sounds of lively chatter and music can be heard. Practically vibrating from where he's sat on the horse – a different one from the other day he noticed – the prince tries to mentally will the other teen to hurry along.

They dismount just a few steps away from the town entrance – a stone archway matching the fence surrounding the area. Donghae's got half a mind to just run blindly right into the heart of the festival but he does have self-control despite his childish tendencies; he can wait just a bit longer. But gods, does he wish Hyukjae would move faster – he wants to try everything, as in everything there is to experience here before the day ends; it might be his only chance to ever do this, after all.

Eventually, they reach the town entrance where a little wooden signboard had been placed; 'Shin He' the letters spell out. Hyukjae dismounts and just like yesterday, he offers a hand to help Donghae get down. Now, the day before, he appreciated the gesture as Donghae had been rather tired and it's been proven in several instances – none of which he'd like to recount – that a tired Donghae equals an even clumsier Donghae. Normally however, he doesn't particularly like overly chivalrous acts but somehow, it doesn't really come off that way from the other teen.

He takes the proffered hand without his usual fuss and watches for a moment as the horse walks back to the forest. Then with child-like glee he turns to the town, already eyeing the different stalls and displays, particularly the one selling fruit encased in a transparent glossy coating – judging from the faint smells he can pick up, he thinks it might be sugar.

“You look like you’ve never seen a candied apple before.” Hyukjae walks up to stand beside him, head cocked towards the stall Donghae is still staring down. The prince turns to the redhead.

“They don’t sell those at festivals in Kei’sei, so, yes, I’ve actually never seen one before.”

Hyukjae blinks before a smile lights up his oh so handsome face- Donghae stop drooling over him so obviously, he admonishes himself. The other teen gently takes hold of his wrist then.

"Then let's get some right now."

He's brought to the same stall he'd been eyeing and the smell of the sugar is even stronger, mixed with hints of apple and cinnamon. Hyukjae buys one, thanking the vendor and hands the treat to Donghae. He takes a bite immediately only to struggle with the hardened coating of sugar before finally managing to take a piece into his mouth. The prince takes his time chewing, savoring the sweet taste.

"So, what do you think?" the redhead asks after Donghae finishes his first bite. The latter licks the sugar left on his lips - he doesn't miss the way the other's eyes flit down momentarily - before replying.

"It's a lot more difficult to eat than I thought, but it tastes good. Pretty much how I thought it'd be, actually."

Hyukjae hums as the other goes for another bite – with minimal struggle this time. As Donghae finishes his candied apple, the redhead guides him around the festival, pointing out the different brightly lit stalls and games to the prince. Donghae listens attentively, soaking up everything the other tells him with no small amount of enthusiasm.

“Oh, this one’s my favorite.” The prince is guided to a simple looking stall – easy enough to miss if one wasn’t paying attention. The smell wafting over however is a whole other story. There’s a pot peeking over the wooden panels that made up the stall and he guesses that’s where the scent is coming from. Before he can look over to see the contents, the vendor looks up and his face immediately brightens.

“Hyukjae!” the man greets enthusiastically. Donghae takes in the youthful appearance of the vendor – he looked to be no older than thirteen maybe – before glancing at his companion. Said teen is grinning at the young vendor, greeting him back with a much calmer but no less happy tone.

“Who’s this you’ve brought this time, hm?” the vendor peers curiously at the prince before giving a sly look at the redhead. “Another one of your _friends_ , Hyukjae?”

With a roll of his eyes, the teen replies, “it’s not like that, you brat.”

The vendor makes a noncommittal noise, face clearly showing his lack of belief in the other’s words. Ignoring the response, Hyukjae turns to Donghae.

“This is Henry, a little brat who's constantly trying to get me in trouble. Henry, this is Donghae, found him in the woods being chased by bandits.”

Henry frowns and looks concernedly at the prince. “Oh my, are you okay? Lately there’s been so much bandit activity in the woods, hardly anyone passes anymore. Even the merchants are afraid. What was so important you decided to pass through the forests anyway?”

Then Henry narrows his eyes at Hyukjae. “What were you doing in the forests? Didn’t father say to-”

Then he stops and his eyes grow wide - he looks as if he's had a revelation. Henry grins then and with a slim index finger, points at the almost panicked looking redhead. Donghae doesn't think he's ever seen such a smug adolescent before.

"You were slacking off, weren't you?" There's a mischievous sparkle in the preteen's eyes, one the prince can tell is wholly unappreciated by Hyukjae. "I'm telling father!"

"No!" the redhead interjects immediately. With resignation painted across his handsome - okay seriously Donghae, stop drooling and focus - features, he bargains with Henry.

"If I promise to take you with me next time I go out into the forest will you keep quiet about this?"

Smile almost obnoxiously wide, Henry practically radiates excitement and lets out a series of profuse yes-es. The boy bounces in place, unable to stay still.

"Yeah, yeah, can we get what we came for now?" Hyukjae gestures towards the pot. Henry straightens before beaming at Donghae.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot. You're gonna love this! Just give me a couple seconds to make it."

Henry crouches down and disappears from view to then before reappearing with two thin sticks. He turns behind him and starts rumaging through the supplies - all contained in sacks it seems.

"And how do you know I'm going to love whatever you're making me?"

"Because," Henry says in a matter-of-factly tone before letting out a sound of triumph when he finds what he's looking for. "The other _friends_ Hyukjae brought to try this all enjoyed it."

Donghae looks at Hyukjae with a quirk of an eyebrow and studiously ignores the little twinge in his chest at the implications of what Henry just said. Slightly flustered, the redhead looks off to the side, crossing his arms.

"Don't listen to Henry." His lower lip juts out just the slightest bit and Donghae has to bite back a smile at the adorable display. "He's just being a brat."

"A truthful brat, Hyukjae, get it right!" the preteen corrects from behind the stall. Henry then pops back up holding two sticks of something dipped in a coating of something brown and rich looking.

"Is that chocolate?" The prince unconsciously leans closer, drawn in by the sight of such a rare treat. "Isn't that hard to come by? How..."

Grinning, Hyukjae takes one of the sticks and hands it to the brunette still looking intently at the treats. "Take a bite. It tastes even better than it looks, I swear to the gods."

Donghae does as he's told and the sweetness from the chocolate melts on his tongue followed by a tanginess from whatever had been under the chocolate layer. As he savors the simple yet decadent taste, the prince looks at the bitten portion of the treat and sees the inside of a strawberry.

"So, was I right or was I right?" Henry has his arms folded on the stall and it's the most smug he's ever seen a preteen be. He finds himself amused by the attitude.

"Hm, I dunno, it doesn't really match what you made me expect."

Henry sputters out half-strewn sentences that sound vaguely like protests while Hyukjae laughs at his brother as he finishes his strawberry skewer. He's about to ask Donghae for his real opinion when a deep timbre voice bellows out from behind the stall, calling the redhead's name. When the prince takes a look, his eyes widen at the sheer size of the man. He almost looks like the titans in the mythology books he's read in his studies – with the hulking mass and towering height, Donghae wouldn't be surprised if the man actually is a titan.

"Uncle," the redhead blurts out in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

“Is a man not allowed to see his own son and nephew now? Come here, lad. I haven’t seen you in two days. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

“Ah, but-” Hyukjae glances towards Donghae helplessly. His uncle notices the prince then and with a booming voice, greets him jovially.

“Sorry to interrupt but I must speak to you, Hyukjae. It’s rather urgent.”

The prince nudges the other teen. “It’s okay, I’ll wait here. You promised to show me around, right? I’m holding you to that.”

With a quick smile thrown his way, the redhead leaves with his uncle, disappearing into one of the houses scattered around the town. When Donghae turns to Henry, there’s a rather unpleasant smile stretched wide over the preteen’s face, showing a neat row of teeth.

“Looks like Hyukjae’s done it again,” he singsongs. “And here I was thinking father was right.”

Henry leans even closer to the prince, still with the smile and it’s honestly starting to creep Donghae out. The preteen snickers to himself before he continues to stare blatantly at the confused teen.

“What is it?”

The prince frowns, eyebrows furrowing when the boy simply tilts his head side to side all the while humming some unidentifiable tune. He’s just about to speak again when a loud cheer catches his attention. When he turns to look, a crowd composed of mostly children and a couple teens has gathered over by the center of the town. In the middle of it all, there’s a man dressed in robes decorated with unfamiliar squiggles – if he’s being honest, it looks like the drawings he doodled on his books as a child.

“Hey, Henry, what’s that over there?”

“Hm?” The boy takes one glance at the crowd before he looks away in disinterest. “Oh, that. It’s just the old man doing his parlor tricks again. Nothing special really. Just some cheap, knock-off magic.”

Donghae perks up at the last word the boy utters and, interest piqued he moves to get a better look, hearing himself faintly telling Henry he’ll be back in a bit. Almost as if drawn to a magnet, the prince steadily makes his way to the where he had spotted the man in odd looking robes. As he gets closer, he sees him on a small raised platform gesturing with his hands whimsically. The children giggle at the silliness of the movements while the teens watching seem to wait in anticipation.

As the gesturing increases to an impressive speed, Donghae can feel a slight change in the air – like energy sizzling right beneath the surface and gradually growing in intensity. It’s somehow familiar and he tries to recall where and when he’d felt this sensation when the man stops and suddenly, there are colorful glowing bubbles floating about. A child lifts a hand to touch one of the bubbles only for it to pop into harmless sparks of light. More children start to reach for the bubbles to pop them and as more of them burst into sparks, the light starts to gather into a single mass.

Mesmerized, Donghae watches as the light morphs into several figures – they’ve turned into horses, butterflies, fishes and they dance around and through the crowd in time with the music playing in the background. One of the fishes swim around him and he reaches out to touch it. His index finger makes contact and there’s a pleasant warmth that envelops the parts of his finger enveloped by what is in essence just a concentration of light.

Soon the lights dim, leaving faint little glimmers before disappearing completely. The crowd claps as the man bows with a flourish, cape swishing behind him. The meager crowd soon moves on, attention drawn by the different games and foods offered by other parts of the festival. Donghae is left all alone by the stage, now thoroughly intrigued by the man tugging at the clasps of his cape.

While the man is busy, the prince takes stock of his features and frowns when he sees a youthful face framed by long inky black hair rather than an aged one as Henry had implied. If anything, he looked to be somewhat close to Donghae’s own age.

“Oh, what’s this? Have you been enchanted by the display of my magical abilities and wish to request for more? Or,” the man daintily covers his mouth with a hand, “have you been captivated by my otherworldly looks as well? Oh, my, so bold of you to come and proposition me. I must say, I admire your confidence-”

“No!” Donghae interjects, cheeks flushed from the rather effeminate looking man’s insinuations. “That’s not what I’m here for.”

“Are you saying my face is unappealing? Well, excuse me-”

“No, no, no, you look fine, attractive even, I just-”

The prince flounders for a moment, scrambling for things to say. The man laughs then and Donghae’s eyebrows raise almost all the way to his hairline at the weird sound coming from the other.

“I’m joking, child. I’m well aware of how I look. People stop to stare at me all the time, I’m just that gorgeous. Now, I don’t believe you caught my introduction earlier, so pay attention. I’m only going to say this once.”

With a flick of his wrist, the man flips his hair back before levelling Donghae with haughty gaze, a hand on his hip.

“Kim Heechul, wandering mage and the most beautiful human you’ll ever lay your eyes on. How may I be of service?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a lil late but Merry Christmas!

**Author's Note:**

> The cheesiest thing I have ever written and it's only going to get worse from here :D (or at least I think it will)


End file.
